CTARC Pictures of SAAO Meeting 2/2 - 28 Feb '15

Report - Photos Batch One  - Photos Batch Two

After the picnic, at around 19h00 we moved inside into the SAAO lecture theatre and Ruby kindly gave us a talk on the Meerkat and Square Kilometer Array radio astronomy projects. It was very, very interesting. Ruby deftly answred a number of texhnical questions about the project in particular, and radio astronomy in general.

After that talk finished around 19h30, the formal SAAO lecture and slide show took place. Those who wanted to sit in and listen to that could, while others had the chance to see the telescope itself and the adjacent Astronomy Museum.

Above: The talk started with a brief description of the various radioastronomy
projects under the auspices of the National Research Foundation (NRF)

Above: The very erudite and scientifically-supercharged Ruby!

Above: A control panel for an array of dishes, individually switchable (remotely)
as required

Above: Different dish designs in use at Meerkat and the SKA

Above: It may interest you to know that South Africa has its own Moon Mission
programme!

Above: The formal SAAO lecture, "In Search of Binary Central Stars of Planetary
Nebulea" followed Ruby's talk on radio astronomy

Above: A diesel engine used to power the raising floor

Above: A truly magnificent piece of optical equipment.

We discovered that the floor could be raised to meet the telescope's eyepieces!

Above: The hand (below left) gives a sense of scale

Above: In the telescope observation room

Above: The correct "top of the hour" was signaled to the harbourmaster, using this
signal pistol. Mariners could then accurately adjust their chronometers

Above: A very accurate chronometer

Above: A poster showing how accurate time is communicated

Above: Aneroid barometers and weather instruments

Above: Standard measurement bars, thermometers and instruments

A bucket of Leopard Toads, lovingly collected each dusk by a staff member
then released again after the guests have left, so the toads don't get squashed!

CTARC Report on February Meeting - 28 Feb '15

Report - Photos Batch One  - Photos Batch Two

The CTARC met for an extraordinary external meeting at the South African Astronomical Observatory, in Observatory suburb, on 28 March 2015 at 18h00.

It really was an enjoyable, sociable event. First of all we gathered on the southern side of one of the lecture halls, under a covered awning, to hold a picnic as the sun went down.

The wind, which had started off rather fiercely, was not too much of an issue even though we were outside.

At about 19h00, we cleared the tables and trooped indoors to the lecture theatre. There we were introduced to Ruby, a most knowledgeable lady who gave us a fascinating slide show on the various Radio Astronomy projects - the Meerkat and Square Kilometer Arrays - that are being built (and in some cases, already being used for scientific research) at Carnarvon in the Karoo. We had the opportunity to ask her questions, which were most adequately answered.

At 20h00, the main meeting of the South African Astronomical Association's Cape Town branch took place. Some elected to stay for this interesting meeting. Others were given the chance to take a look at the Observatory's main telescope.

Adjacent to the main telescope chamber is a fascinating museum, full of astronomical equipment, chronometers, models of the large SALT telescope at Sutherland, and other interesting displays. The main telescope is housed in a typically domed observatory building to the East of the main office building. It has a few tricks up it's sleeve! In order to reach the eyepieces of the instrument - a beautiful refractor telescope from the turn of the century - the entire floor in the observatory chamber can be raised up or down!

Sadly, the prevailing cloudy weather prevented us from seeing Saturn as expected, but there will be other opportunities further on. What we did get shown, though, was a bucket full of rare Leopard Toads, who are collected in a bucket each evening (and later released) by a kindly staff member, so that they don't get squashed by visiting vehicles...

The CTARC is hugely grateful to Ruby and the South African Astronomical Observatory for providing us with such an interesting evening.

Photos of this event are found in Batch One and Batch Two.